• Globally regarded soft-tissue sarcoma therapy has been approved by Medsafe for New Zealand patients
• YONDELIS^® (trabectedin) demonstrates 45% reduction in risk of disease progression or death versus dacarbazine^[1]

Medsafe has approved the use of YONDELIS (trabectedin) "for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic liposarcoma or leiomyosarcoma who received a prior anthracycline-containing regimen".^[2]

YONDELIS (trabectedin) is used extensively around the world and has been shown to improve progression free survival^[1].

News of the Medsafe registration has been welcomed by oncologists and the New Zealand sarcoma community, who say it means patients whose disease has progressed will have access to a new line of therapy.

"Sarcoma is a relatively rare cancer and treatment options are limited for those with advanced disease," said Associate Professor Jayesh Desai, Medical Oncologist and Deputy Chair of the Australia and New Zealand Sarcoma Association (ANZSA)

"We welcome news that this therapy is formally approved for use in New Zealand and look forward to seeing advanced sarcoma patients being provided additional benefit."

And ANZSA Chief Executive Officer Dr Denise Caruso said: "YONDELIS is an established therapy that has already been used extensively around the world to treat advanced sarcoma patients. We welcome formal registration in New Zealand and expect that all eligible New Zealand patients will be provided access to this global treatment option."

YONDELIS is already approved and has been available to patients in the United States since 2015,^[3] and in Europe since 2007.^[4] It was approved by Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration in 2021.^[5]

YONDELIS is made available in New Zealand by independent biopharmaceutical company Specialised Therapeutics Asia (ST) under an exclusive license arrangement with international partner PharmaMar SA.

ST Chief Executive Officer Mr Carlo Montagner commented: "We are pleased to achieve this milestone in New Zealand and look forward to providing patients with sarcoma with another valuable treatment option.

"We will continue working with the sarcoma community in New Zealand to ensure that YONDELIS is available at the earliest opportunity."